Anne C. Cools

Anne Clare Cools is a Senator from Ontario. In 1984 His Excellency Governor-General Edward Schreyer summoned her to the Senate on the advice of Rt. Hon. Pierre E. Trudeau. Her appointment to the Senate continued a long career of community organization and social services in the field of family violence and family conflict. As of June 8th 2004, Senator Cools is a Conservative Senator from Ontario. 
Born on August 12, 1943, in Barbados, British West Indies, she attended the Ursuline Convent Montessori School, Miss Ribitt's School and Queen's College Girls School. At age 13 she moved to Canada and completed her secondary education at Thomas D'Arcy McGee High School in Montreal. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Montreal's McGill University.

Senator Cools has been an innovator and leader in the creation of social services to help battered women, families in crisis and families troubled by domestic violence. In 1974, she founded one of the first battered women's shelters in Canada, Women in Transition Inc., serving as its Executive Director. She negotiated W.I.T.'s membership as a United Way Member Agency and assisted many other battered women's shelters in Ontario to get started. As W.I.T.'s Special Projects Manager from 1984 until 1990, she successfully opened a second women's shelter in 1987. She had been a Field Educator in Toronto, serving as Field Instructor to students with Seneca College (1977-1989), with the Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto (1977-78), and Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (1978-1980).

Senator Cools' representation in the community and her involvement with the Liberal Party of Canada is long standing. She was the federal Liberal candidate in the Federal General Elections of 1979 and 1980 in Toronto's Rosedale Riding. She was also Vice-Chair of the Greater Toronto Liberal Caucus in 1993, 1994 and 1995.

From 1980 to 1984, by Order-in-Council appointment, Senator Cools served as a Member (Temp.) on the National Parole Board of Canada, the federal tribunal and paroling authority for inmates in the federal correctional system.

Senator Cools is currently serving on the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs and former Deputy Chair of the Senate Standing Committee of National Finance. She was also a member of the Special Joint Senate-Commons Committee on Child Custody & Access. Senator Cools has also served on several Senate Committees, which have included the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, the Standing Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce, and the Task Force on the Meech Lake Accord.

Senator Cools has also worked on many important Bills, which have included Bill C-20 (2000) the Clarity Bill regarding Quebec Secession, Bill C-41 (1996), amending the Divorce Act, Bill C-37 (1998) and Bill C-42 (1996) amending the Judges Act, Bill C-62 (1990), the Act to Implement the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and Bill C-21 (1989), amending the Unemployment Insurance Act.

Senator Cools' community organizational memberships have included the LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence and Conflict Resolution (External Associate); the Royal Canadian Heritage Trust (Director); the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, Ottawa Commandery; the Advisory Committee of the National Associations Active in Criminal Justice (former member, Board of Directors); the Prayer Book Society of Canada, Ottawa Branch (Honourary Patron); Another Shakespeare Project, Ottawa (Friend); the Codrington College, Barbados, Restoration Appeal of Canada (Canadian Patron); the Metro Toronto Social Planning Council (former member, Board of Directors); the Metro Toronto Justice Committee on Spousal Abuse (founding Vice-Chair); the Pauline McGibbon Cultural Centre, Toronto; the Black Theatre Canada, Toronto (former member, Board of Directors); and the Black Education Project, Toronto (former member, Board of Directors).

Senator Cools has received many awards during her years of service. Recently, she was given a Certificate of Recognition as Canada's first black senator by Howard University's Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center in Washington, DC. She was named one of the recipients of the 2001 Toronto Bob Marley Day Award in recognition of Canada's multicultural heritage and her continuing struggle to promote equality, peace, and harmony. Senator Cools was named Real Women of Canada’s 1999 Person of the Year in recognition of her outstanding contributions to promote and preserve family values in Canada. She was also named Spiritual Mother of the Year in June, 1997 by NA'AMAT, the international Jewish Women's Organization that supports battered women's shelters in Israel, and in addition, Pride Magazine awarded her their 1997 Outstanding Achievement Award in Politics. Senator Cools is married, and is a member of the Anglican Church.